User:Ems1960/report

Wikipedia is a powerful force in education. As a long time reader, I have benefited from the work of faithful volunteers. Despite my almost daily visits to the site, my reaction upon learning that a large portion of the class would be dedicated to Wikipedia was fear. It is well known that anyone can take part in the community, but I never felt qualified enough to make the move from reader to editor. I am not an expert in any topic and lack some computer skills needed to perform well in the community. The high stakes at hand and seemingly endless rules deterred me from giving my time. However, with guidance, a community of peers, and easy-to-follow modules, I was able to contribute to an article I am proud of: nitro cold brew coffee. The last six weeks of course material and assignments have given me access to the inner workings of online communities, which in turn has allowed me to formulate actionable advice to Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has a well-established group of users but, as touched on in class, is failing to entice new editors. Freeriding has the potential to become a major issue for Wikipedia, leading to a gap in available quality information. Because of this, I suggest that Wikipedia make their needs clear and tailored to the user’s interest. My journey began with an extrinsic motivation to join Wikipedia for the course, but I was not internally motivated to contribute until a few weeks in. Finding an article that I was passionate about was difficult, but once I did, I began to care. The list of stubs was a good place to start but was tiresome and tedious to navigate. Not everyone will be persuaded by an outside force to contribute to Wikipedia, making targeting intrinsic motivation immensely important. I think one way Wikipedia can do this is by customizing suggested stubs and specific, manageable tasks to the user, based on the types of articles they typically read. A lengthy, general list for all of Wikipedia fails to call on the talents and wheelhouse of necessary new contributors. The stub list can be overwhelming with too many tasks for one single person, in turn demotivating the user. Singling out potential new users with simple, distinct tasks on articles they may become passionate about could potentially raise the desire to contribute. Motivating people based on internal interests can increase contributions.

Once Wikipedia ushers in newcomers, socialization begins. The community, as I have witnessed firsthand, has extensive rules and high expectations for users. Good users are both attracted and cultivated; without proper norm teaching, you can potentially lose valuable users. My experience in the Wiki Education course taught me the expectations of the site. The institutionalized form of socialization with easy to follow modules, a teacher and peers to look to for help, and the emphasis of using my sandbox made editing seem less daunting. However, the formal setting did not allow me to ask specific questions and was time-consuming. Wikipedia primarily uses informal training as new users edit. Trial and error allows people to learn from their mistakes but can be a long, arduous process. I would suggest that Wikipedia offer new users a combination of formal and informal education, as well as making the user interface more accessible for people of all skill levels. This could include assigning older users to welcome and answer questions, in turn preventing new users from confusion or mistakes that cause them to leave. Granting all users to access modules to complete at their own pace would allow for role clarity and self-efficacy. Though this training may appear as a higher startup cost, the users would become more committed to the community and better versed in expectations. Startup costs could be lessened if the site itself was easier to navigate. Certain aspects, such as source editing, are especially daunting. Merging the visual editor and source editor together would help lower a barrier to those less computer savvy. Good web design is often a signal of a successful online community, meaning if Wikipedia appears manageable to learn, more people will use it,  Teaching users and making the site user-friendly helps to lower the cost of contribution.

Wikipedia and online communities alike, need users to be committed and continue contributing in order to thrive. Getting people in the door doesn’t matter if you cannot get them to stay. My experience with Wikipedia was built around a cohort and mentor helping me through the editing process. The relationships that were cultivated soothed a rocky transition into the community and provided support. Peer editing, for example, made me care about articles outside my own. Ties to a group and specific people increases commitment to the community. Wikipedia often appears as the wild west; you come, you edit, you move on. Without genuine group or interpersonal connection, the desire to give energy to achieving the goals of Wikipedia is diminished. Knowing the people you’re editing with and understanding the group goals, would create a community of cooperation in the progression of education. Wikipedia could do this by giving users a private group messaging system. Providing an opportunity to engage in personal conversation increases bonds based commitment to individuals and the group. While you can leave notes on a user’s talk page, these public conversations are unable to scratch past the surface of personal connection and reach self-disclosure. Wikipedia’s option for pseudonyms would grant safety and the ability to maintain professionalism, while still allowing for genuine connection. When users feel committed to a group and the people within it, they are more likely to stay committed to the online community in its entirety.

Becoming a contributor to Wikipedia gave me hands-on experience with course material. Through learning the norms and expectations of the community, despite my fear in doing so, I have gained insight into the building of a massive online community. Wikipedia should be direct towards new users and work to better integrate them into the community.